Norman Lamb MP, North Norfolk voted against requiring large pub-owning businesses to offer their tenants and leaseholders a market rent only option (rather than insisting on a contract requiring them to buy beer, and other supplies, from the pub company).

The majority of MPs voted to require large pub-owning businesses offer their tenants and leaseholders a market rent only option (rather than insisting on a contract requiring them to buy beer, and other supplies, from the pub company).

MPs were considering the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill[1]. The proposed new clause supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was titled: Pubs code: market rent only option for large pub-owning businesses. Its first sub-clause stated:

The Pubs Code shall include a Market Rent Only Option to be provided by large pub-owning businesses in respect of their tenants and leaseholders.

The remainder of the clause[2] provides definitions and further details.

The Pub Code is the name to be given to regulations which are to be brought in under the Bill. Clause 41 of the Bill[3] stated:

The Secretary of State must, before the end of the period of one year beginning with the day on which this section comes into force, make regulations about practices and procedures to be followed by pub-owning businesses in their dealings with their tied pub tenants.

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